Business Systems and Processes.

The Systems Thinker Blog

Design an Efficient Workflow!

Today, I want to dig a little deeper into what makes your business systems and processes work effectively. No matter what system you are trying to improve—lead generation, customer care, accounting, human resource, employee training, custodial, and so forth—one law governs them all.

Cause and Effect Determine System Results

System results are controlled by the Law of Cause and Effect. To get a better result, you have to work on the cause; you have to improve either the system procedure or the component parts used by the system. That’s it! These are the only two things you can do to improve anything.

So, let’s first talk about the system procedure or “process.” These are the steps, from beginning to end, in one system cycle—for example, getting a sales lead through a sales-conversion process, a license application through an approval process, or putting a bicycle together in an assembly process.

If the tasks performed in a system or process require a precise order, like assembling a bicycle, you need a procedure listing the sequential steps; perhaps a visual flowchart would be helpful. If the order in which tasks are accomplished does not matter, such as cleaning an office (e.g., vacuum, empty trash, clean bathroom), the system may only require a simple checklist.

How smoothly and efficiently the workflows through your business is very important. In fact, the “throughput”—what goes out the door—is your single most important measurement.

“If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing” (W. Edwards Deming, Total Quality Management).

The Toyota Motor Company, a model of efficiency, believes that a well-designed and consistent system flow, with little variation and waste, produces the best long-term results. Considering the fable of the tortoise and the hare, Toyota favors the strategy of the tortoise, with less emphasis on actual speed and more emphasis on a process that is stable, steady and sustained; the latter produces more cars per month.

Think of your entire business as a group of interrelated and interdependent systems and processes. Like the gears of a watch, they are all working individually to fulfill a predetermined purpose, and they are all working together for the good of the whole.

Within your business systems, there are also subsystems focused on tasks that are more specific. For example, your lead-generation system may consist of direct mail, radio advertising, and a website. Each of these subsystems is a unique process with a single objective. In fact, each page on your website is yet a lower subsystem, also with a distinct purpose and goal.

By drilling down through subsystems, you can improve the important details of your operation, giving customers a better experience and improving your profit margin. The dollars are in the details, and Box Theory™ Software makes it easy to work with all your subsystems, no matter how deep they go.

Create High-Performance Business Systems

Ideally, each step in a process contributes value to the customer, with little wasted time and energy. The system generates output that meets quality standards and avoids accumulation of rejects or rework. The workload is level, with standardized tasks, and paced with the input of sales orders. I am referring here to the workshop, the store, or the office.

Bottlenecks that delay order completion are eliminated. “Speed bumps” such as clutter, poor layout, and downtime are minimized. Employees are trained, incentivized, and learn from the ongoing feedback of system results. If you can accomplish these objectives, you will have a highly-efficient workflow!

While much thought, planning, and experimentation may go into developing a high-performance business system, everything learned is eventually reduced to a single procedure or checklist that is used by system operators. Their responsibility is to follow that procedure or checklist with exactness until the system is improved. If your organization encourages and rewards innovation, system operators will also drive the improvement process.

If you want to solve problems, end frustration, boost sales, improve quality, become more efficient, please customers, increase profit, and grow your company, the only way is to create high-performance business systems and processes. There is no other way!

I teach the principles of good system-design and process-flow in the Box Theory™ eCourse, and you can become a proficient system designer using the flowchart and checklist tools found in Box Theory™ Gold software. If you want a smooth-running and efficient business operation, please check them out today. You can expect a big payoff from a very small investment!

When it comes to creating systems, I see small-business owners fail to do one thing more than any other. We will cover that topic tomorrow.

To give back to the entrepreneurial community, I HAVE DECIDED TO GIVE AWAY MY VALUABLE SYSTEMS-BUILDING SOFTWARE, ecOURSE, AND OTHER INFORMATION ABSOLUTELY FREE. By filling out the form on this page, you will go directly to a download page. This is not hype. There is no catch. You will receive a software product and a “college equivalent” eCourse on how to develop effective business systems and processes. Customers have been paying for this software and eCourse for fourteen years (see What Cutomers Are Saying).

I will show you how to eliminate business frustrations and make more money by creating remarkable systems and processes that boost customer loyalty, profitability and growth. The application of these strategies has proven to be of great worth for owners of many small and mid-size businesses. Put me to the test!

You will learn the following, and much more:

How to become a Systems Thinker and raise your business I.Q. by 80 points—OVERNIGHT.

What six elements are found in every great business system.

How you can remove waste and inefficiency, and build a results-driven organization.

Why good systems and processes are the essential ingredient to start, grow, fix or franchise (replicate) your business.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I will not be trying to sell you because you are getting everything for FREE, much more than I have described here. I won’t be contacting you; however, you can contact me for help with the software or your business at any time. Please browse around my website. If you have any questions, email me, Ron Carroll, at boxtheorygold@gmail.com.

I hope you enjoy and benefit from this FREE offer. It was a labor of love for me to develop. Becoming a Systems Thinker and using the Box Theory™ methodology will be one of the best decisions you have ever made.

I’ll be cheering you on from my quiet fishing hole in the mountains of Utah.

I want to learn how to create remarkable business systems …

Just RetiredGone FishingYour Lucky Day

It's time for me to focus on other things. Many hours and dollars have gone into my software and written materials over the last fourteen years. Now it's time to give back. This is not a gimmick. There is nothing to buy. I give it all to you for free. If you use the software and apply the principles, you can create a remarkable company. See Below. Have fun!

Turn Your Business Into Money-Making Systems!

Welcome to the #1 website for helping owners of small to midsize businesses create customer-pleasing, waste-removing, profit-boosting business systems and processes.

Michael Gerber, "E-Myth"

"Organize around business functions, not people. Build systems within each business function. Let systems run the business and people run the systems. People come and go but the systems remain constant."

W. Edwards Deming, Total Quality Management

"If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing. . . . 94% of all failure is a result of the system, not people."